Contents

Design

2D Universe

The Tanker in Grand Theft Auto is designed as a straight truck with a cab-over design and a tanker load. It is one of the most durable vehicles in the game, being able to withstand a lot of damage. Despite it being a large truck, the Tank is able to drive over it.

Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas

In Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, the Tanker appeared with a semi-cab design, loosely based on a Mack R series, with elements from Ford L9000 and an International Paystar incorporated into it. It is one of the more popular of the three trucks in San Andreas, being encountered more than the Roadtrain and the Linerunner, and is generally designed as a mid-sized semi truck smaller than the Roadtrain but larger than the Linerunner.

Although the Tanker is depicted to have a tanker trailer attached to it (judging by its name), the player can attach any of the truck trailers found across the state.

Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars

Like the GTA San Andreas rendition, the Tanker in Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars is designed as a conventional cab semi-trailer truck, but is only available with a permanently attached tanker trailer.

Version History Gallery

Performance

2D Universe

Surprisingly, the Tanker in the first Grand Theft Auto has the highest top speed - if driven on a straight road, for long enough, it will keep picking up momentum - much like the Bus and Coach.

Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas

As evidenced by the game's internal files, it is clearly shown that the Tanker in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas is the slowest of all three but it has better acceleration than the Linerunner. In-game gameplay, however, has the truck performing better than the Linerunner, with an unusually better top speed, as well as superior acceleration and hill climbing power. Its lower body height also makes it less vulnerable to rollovers than the Linerunner.

Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars

In Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars, the Tanker's long length and large weight makes the vehicle less than suitable for intensive driving, faring poorly in top speed and acceleration, as well as poor cornering (often requiring large turning radius's) and braking. If the trailer is set on fire, it will blow up dramatically, usually killing the player and harming anyone else near the vehicle. Also during the mission Trail Blazer, the Tanker is shot at whilst the player is driving and starts to leak fuel, this fuel starts to set on fire behind the player and, if they don't pick up enough speed, then the flames will reach the trailer and the truck will explode. This can be renacted outside of the mission also.

During mission Tequila Slammer - Phone 4: Mission 1, El Burro informs the protagonist about a Tanker full of "unusual chemicals" has come into town, and he wants to know what they are. The protagonist must intercept the truck and then take it to a Respray Shop before driving it to El Burro's warehouse.

In mission Rasta Blasta - Phone 15, the player is tasked to intercept and destroy a Tanker, then pick up an identical one, have it loaded up, and take it to a garage of the Rastas. After this, the protagonist has to pick up another Tanker, have it fitted with explosives, and blow it up at a building.

Grand Theft Auto: London 1969

Chelsea Smile - Tanker - The protagonist will be told to take the truck (which is rigged with explosives) to the intersection in southwest City, while avoiding the police.

Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas

Reuniting the Families - After the chase, Big Smoke bails the car through a billboard, causing it to hit the ground and a Tanker's trailer, destroying the trailer.